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| (Image credit: Future) |
I was immediately enamored with the OnePlus Open upon first holding it in my hands. The OnePlus Open reinvented everything I anticipated from a foldable phone, including how to multitask correctly, despite being the company's first foldable phone ever. This year, instead of receiving a legitimate replacement, we're gifted to a new model known as the OnePlus Open Apex Edition.
While I, along with many others, am eagerly awaiting OnePlus' next-generation foldable, the Apex Edition appears to be the ideal diversion in the meanwhile. Particularly considering that it has very similar features, it is obvious that it is not attempting to entice current OnePlus Open users away. Rather, it's a brand-new foldable that tries to divert consumers from rival gadgets like the anticipated Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the recently released Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.
It's remarkable, in my opinion, that the OnePlus Open still holds the top spot in our list of the best foldable phones, given how many competitors it has faced since going on sale last autumn. Here's everything fresh about the OnePlus Open Apex Edition that I've been able to obtain.
OnePlus Open Apex Edition: New Colorway & Sophisticated Look
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| (Image credit: Future) |
The OnePlus Open Apex Edition receives a brand-new Crimson Shadow hue that accentuates the phone's vegan leather back cover in classic makeover manner. It's certainly not like the sleek glass body of my OnePlus Open in Emerald Dusk. The rough vegan leather shell gives the foldable a more upscale appearance, but I'm glad it also makes it much more gripping in the hand.
It now comes with the same snap-on case that came with the original, but in the same Crimson Shadow color and vegan leather finish, in case you're concerned, like I was, about the vegan leather fading over time.
Other than that, the 7.82-inch AMOLED and 6.31-inch AMOLED exterior screens are the same as those of the regular OnePlus Open. They are just as I remember them: dazzlingly brilliant, shimmering hues, and superb angles of view. Not to mention, compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the crease along the length of the inner display is still far more subdued.
1TB of storage
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| (Image credit: Future) |
The OnePlus Open came with an impressive 512GB of storage, which shocked me when it was first released. But OnePlus goes one step further with the Apex Edition, offering an incredible 1TB of storage. That should be more than plenty to meet the demands of even the pickiest consumers, especially considering how well the foldable camera performs while capturing pictures. In fact, during my Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. OnePlus Open picture session, it held its own.
Under the hood, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU with 16GB of RAM provides buttery smooth performance while navigating the UI and using apps. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 didn't actually accomplish much to prolong its battery life, so much so that it didn't even come close to matching the OnePlus Open, even though it has since arrived on smartphones like the Galaxy Z Fold 6, easily providing considerably higher benchmark results. In light of this, it will be fascinating to observe the results of the Apex Edition's testing once it undergoes the same procedure.
Locked down privacy with VIP mode
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| (Image credit: Future) |
When I originally set up the phone, I made a mistake that ended up disabling the camera. I have to switch off VIP mode in order to use the camera, according to the on-screen message. I searched through the settings menu to find its location, but I soon discovered that the phone's alert slider was in charge of it. VIP mode activates and shuts off the microphone and camera while it is in the top position.
Now, you may be asking yourself, why is this happening? In case you're concerned that the phone is somehow listening or spying, it's actually more for privacy purposes. Because the permissions are controlled at the chip level, turning it on essentially adds an additional layer of privacy that other phones don't provide. Furthermore, VIP mode stops applications from seeing or recording conversation data, but oddly enough, it leaves the device's GPS position intact.
AI-powered photo editing tools
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| (Image credit: Future) |
With its unique set of capabilities, the OnePlus Open Apex Edition joins the ranks of phones that come equipped with AI-assisted picture editing tools, like as the Pixel's Magic Editor and the Galaxy S24's Generative Edit. By cleverly lassoing things in your photographs, our new AI Smart Cutout tool makes it simple to generate personalized stickers and graphics from your images.
I can see how some people could find this helpful, but it lacks the generative AI capabilities I've seen in those other apps that employ AI to fill in the gaps.
It costs more
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| (Image credit: Future) |
The OnePlus Open Apex Edition now fetches a slightly higher price of $1,899, which is technically an increase above the $1,699 pricing of the normal OnePlus Open due to all the extra improvements. You may argue that the extra price is justified by the more storage space, but I'll point out that it's still more affordable than its competitors because OnePlus still lets you trade in any phone for $100, making the phone worth $1,799 in total.
However, what's truly intriguing is that, from August 8 to August 30, 2024, the 16GB RAM + 512GB ROM version of the regular OnePlus Open will be available for just $1,399 for a certain period of time. You can get it for $1,299 if you combine that with the same trade-in offer, which is a fantastic price for the greatest foldable phone available. Wireless charging is the one feature I really wish OnePlus had included in the Apex Edition. It appears that one will have to wait for a more suitable replacement.